Outdoor attractions

UBC and the area around it are home to immense beauty and a lot of fun.

CLOSE TO HOME Surrounding UBC’s campus is Pacific Spirit Regional Park and its 78 kilometres of walking, cycling and riding trails. Situated to the north and east of UBC, Pacific Spirit is a vast second-growth forest with towering Douglas firs, majestic owls and plenty of other wildlife.

The rest of Pacific Spirit is a thin strip of shoreline surrounding campus on three sides. Wreck Beach is the best place to catch a sunset on campus and it’s some 440 steps down (and 440 back up when you’re done). Be warned: this beach is clothing-optional. You’re free to keep your clothes on, but be careful where you point your camera.

BIKING Not only is cycling a practical way to commute to, from and around campus, it’s a great way to explore. Vancouver has loads of cycling routes with the best developed ones mapped by the city. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can bike across the Lions Gate Bridge to the North Shore, where you can explore further or even attempt to tackle the thigh-burning Triple Crown.

HIKING Hiking is a great way to get some exercise and some beautiful views. Sites like alltrails. com and vancouvertrails.com are a great way to come up with ideas for where to go. If you don’t have a car, you can befriend someone who does, use a car share like Modo or Evo (but be careful of their forestry road travel policy), bike there or take a bus to a transit-serviced trailhead.

If you’re looking for a hiking buddy, the Varsity Outdoor Club is a great place to go; they run beginner-friendly trips throughout the year.

Before you travel into backcountry terrain, prepare yourself by packing the essentials and knowing where you’re going. adventuresmart.ca is a great place for resources on how to stay safe in the backcountry.

SKIING Skiing is a classic way to enjoy BC’s beautiful mountains. Visible from UBC across the Burrard Inlet, there are ski areas on Cypress, Grouse and Seymour mountains. All of these ski areas are great for beginners, open for night skiing and close enough that you can head up after class ends.

For the big mountain experience, you have to travel a little farther away to Whistler Blackcomb — North America’s largest resort is two hours from UBC and well worth the trip.

If you’re looking to ski further away than Whistler, the Ski and Board Club usually runs trips to mountains in the interior, so watch out for tickets. U